


X-Patrol: Chapter 22 – Spring Fever

by thebasement_archivist



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Crossover, Fiction, M/M, Mpreg, Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-10-30
Updated: 2004-10-30
Packaged: 2018-11-21 01:52:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11347431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebasement_archivist/pseuds/thebasement_archivist
Summary: Jim goes through with his decision to have his and Blair's next child, while three other unplanned pregnancies occur.





	X-Patrol: Chapter 22 – Spring Fever

**Author's Note:**

> Note from alice ttlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Basement](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Basement), which moved to the AO3 to ensure the stories are always available and so that authors may have complete control of their own works. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [The Basement's collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/thebasement/profile).

X-Patrol: Chapter 22 – Spring Fever

### X-Patrol: Chapter 22 – Spring Fever

#### by Jo B

  


Title: X-Patrol: Chapter 22 - Spring Fever 

Author: Jo B 

Keywords: M/Sk, D/K, J/B, D/M, F/V/K Slash, AU, mpreg, Crossover: X-Files/The Sentinel/Highlander/Due South 

Rating: NC-17 

Story Summary: Colonization has begun. Four men set aside their differences and form an alliance to fight the aliens and stake out a new life together in their shattered world. 

Chapter Summary: Jim goes through with his decision to have his and Blair's next child, while three other unplanned pregnancies occur. 

Disclaimer: The X-Files are the property Chris Carter, 1013 productions and Fox Broadcasting. The Sentinel belongs to Pet Fly Productions, UPN, and Paramount. Highlander is the property of Rysher/Panzer/Davis/Gaumont/Fireworks. Due South belongs to Alliance Communication. No money is being made from their use. 

Author's notes: I'm going to finish Moving On before starting the next chapter of this series. 

Warning! This story contains romance between two men. Turn back now, if the subject matter offends you. 

Warning! Warning! This story contains male pregnancy! Eek run for your lives! 

Archive: Yes, just leave my name attached. 

Web site: http://slashingmulder.com/JoB/ 

Special thanks to my beta-readers Joey and Xscribe. 

* * *

Chapter 22  
X-Patrol 

Spring Fever 

The Owl 

Monday, March 15, 2004 

The pain was worse than anything Dawson had ever experienced, but he was determined to endure it because the end results would be well worth it. He reached under the blankets, where once there had been stumps, and now there was firm flesh and bones, Joe ran a hand down his leg to the knee, then the flesh was replaced by exposing nerve endings, muscles, and bones, along with another substance that his body was excreting. Laura had taken a sample of that substance and couldn't identify it as anything she'd ever seen before. It appeared to be alien in origin. She could only determine that it was behind his body's regeneration of his missing limbs. 

Stan moaned from the bunk bed over Dawson's. His roommates were going through a tough time, in the four weeks since Naomi had infected them with the virus. Like Dawson, all of their body and facial hair had fallen out with the exception of their head of hair, eyebrows, and lashes. At least Dawson was comforted by the knowledge that his beard would grow back in, but it might take months. 

"Hey, Benny," Ray said from the other bottom bunk across for Dawson. 

"What, Ray?" Benton said tiredly. 

"I was thinking," Ray said. "It might not be so bad being immortal werewolves." 

"I couldn't agree more," Benton said. 

"Guys, we're going to be half female," Stan grumbled. 

Dawson didn't like that anymore than the other men, but unlike them, Blair was administering a full dose of feverfew to Dawson. He'd be like Walter, Jim, and John -- only a hermaphrodite in werewolf form. 

Benton groaned as he turned on his side. "If we're going to live for centuries, it might not be too bad being both male and female. After all, variety is the spice of life." 

Naomi came into the room carrying a tray. "I have your doses of feverfew tea for you. After you drink the tea you can use the bathroom, then I'll serve you dinner." 

The feverfew usually gave Dawson's three bunkmates enough relief to get out of bed for a little bit. Unfortunately with the state of Dawson's legs, he was forced to use a bedpan and have sponge baths. At least Naomi was very attentive. 

Only Wade was having a better time of it. He spent his time in the great room reading to the children or visiting Dawson and the other men. Even though all of them were in great pain, none of them would begrudge Wade the full dose of feverfew to relieve the worst of his symptoms. It was one of the reasons that Dawson had developed a great respect for Ray, Benton, and Stan. They may bitch and moan, but they didn't blame or put themselves above the welfare of others. 

When these men were back on their feet, they would be a great addition to this community. 

After Naomi passed out the mugs to Ray, Benton and Stan, she came over and helped Dawson sit up. He gasped as his exposed nerves made direct contact with the sheets. 

"Sorry, Joe." Naomi propped the pillows behind him then helped him hold the mug to his lips. 

The hot feverfew tea had a bitter taste, but it only took a few sips for him to feel better. Unlike Ray, Benton, and Stan who got only one mug of a day -- Joe received three mugs of tea a day. 

"Thanks," he said. 

Naomi smoothed the sweat-dampened bangs out of his eyes while holding the mugs. "Melvin dropped off the latest addition of the Magic Mountain. It's twice as large as the normal additions since it covers December, January, and February. I'll bring it in if you're interested in reading it." 

"I'd like to see it." After drinking about half the tea, Dawson was able to hold the mug on his own. 

She smiled. "I'll go and get it." 

By the time she returned, Dawson had finished the tea and the other three men had headed upstairs to use the large bathroom. 

On the cover of the magazine was a photograph taken outside, of all them standing or kneeling around a huge snowman. The photograph had been taken on December 30th. The children, with big grins on their faces, looked thrilled. 

Instead of reading the article, Dawson flipped to the center photo section. The photos had been sent in by all the residents on the mountain. In his few short months there, Dawson had come to know many residents, but there were families he still hadn't met, so he studied the photographs along with the caption identifying who they were. 

He flipped to the featured story. It was about him turning the old stone mill into a Blue's bar, brew house, and inn. Dawson wondered what the response would be, since they hadn't discussed it with anyone other than Sean who was going to be Dawson's silent partner in the endeavor. Having someone with the Ranger's procurement abilities would be essential to running the place. 

With nothing else to occupy his mind, while being confined to bed, Dawson's thoughts turned often to the old stone mill. The inn was an after thought since the living space above the bar would only require half of the upper floor -- Walter had suggested building a six room inn in the other half. 

Dawson chuckled. He knew Walter had ulterior motives, and Dawson suspected that any more surprise guests would be redirected to the inn. 

At the end of the article was posted a request for volunteers to help with the construction in exchange for bar credits. Mac had volunteered to act as the main contact until Dawson was back on his feet. They hoped to start construction within the next three weeks. At least he had something to look forward to. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Panther 

Saturday, March 27, 2004 

Ellison kneeled and tied his son's tiny sneakers. Joey was the joy of his life. It was funny since Ellison never thought he'd want children, but now his desire to have another one was growing even stronger. It might be due in part to being in heat, and it being spring after all, a time when the natural desire to procreate had animals and birds looking for mates. He looked into Joey's bright blue eyes. To hell with Blair wanting to wait a few years, Ellison wanted to have another one now. Besides, Fox and Walter had three, so he and Blair could at least have two. 

A smile spread across Ellison's lips as a plan formed in his mind. For once his lover wasn't going to get his way. 

Ellison stood. "C'mon, champ, let's go see if Grandma Sonja has breakfast ready for us." 

"Grandma made oatmeal with brown sugar and apples!" Joey said excitedly as he ran to the bedroom doorway and waited for his Daddy to catch up. 

Ellison sniffed the air and smiled. "So she did." He followed his son out of the door through the laundry room and into the kitchen. 

Blair came in through the back door carrying a basket of eggs. He'd gotten up early because he couldn't sleep. With the snow having melted over the last two days of unseasonably warm weather, the guys had started the outdoor spring cleanup. 

Joey climbed up on the stool at the counter. "Grandma, I wanna a big bowl of oatmeal! Please?" 

Sonja smiled at him. "I made extra just for you and your Dad." 

"Cool," Ellison said, sitting down next to his son. "I will need my strength today with the spring clean up." 

"I can't wait to get out into the gardens," Sonja said as she placed two bowls of oatmeal in front of Joey and Ellison. 

Blair hurried over with a bib in his hand and tied it around their son's neck. "Let's try to stay clean at least until after breakfast." 

"Mommy, can I help you and Daddy outside?" 

Yes." Blair smiled and kissed the top of his head. "Daddy and I would appreciate your help." 

Ellison was now used to hearing their son call Blair mommy. The first week it took both him and Joey a while to adjust, but with the twins calling Fox mommy it made it easier for Joey to follow suit with Blair. The only problem; Ellison wasn't sure if he could get over his aversion and have his baby call him mommy. 

The sound of an engine turned Ellison's head in its direction. He noticed that Joey had stopped eating and was looking in the same direction while everyone else in the room went about business as usual until the sound reached their ears. Fox, who was with Wade, watching the children in the great room ran to look out the front window. 

"Hey it's Sean with the backhoe," Fox said. 

"Daddy, can I see?" Connor asked. 

Fox smiled at him. "Let's get yours, Gwen's and your sisters' jackets on then we'll go outside and see the backhoe together." 

"I'll help you with them, Fox," Blair said. 

Joey glanced between his oatmeal and the window then turned to his Dad. "I wanna see backhoe." 

"We'll go outside as soon as we finish our breakfast," Ellison said. He noticed the uncertainty in his son's eyes. "Don't worry. The backhoe will still be here." 

Joey shook his head. "I not hungry." 

Ellison knew exactly what his son was feeling -- the boy didn't want to miss out on seeing the backhoe with the other children. 

"Chief, take Joey with you," Ellison called as he removed Joey's the bib and helped him off the stool. 

"Boys seem to love trucks," Sonja said. "I think it's something that became inherent in their blood since the wheel was invented." She started to collect the half eaten bowl of oatmeal but Ellison stopped her and dumped Joey's oatmeal in to his bowl. 

He grinned. "I'd be outside with them but you know I can't resist your cooking." 

The smile on Sonja's face warmed Ellison's heart. He had very few memories of his own mother, so he more or less had adopted Walter's mother. Maybe Blair was right about Joey needing to grow up knowing that he had a mother. 

Wade took a seat on the stool that Joey had abandoned. 

"How are you doing, Wade?" Ellison asked. 

"I feel great this morning. Last night was the first time I didn't need Blair's feverfew tea." Wade smiled at Sonja as she placed a cup of coffee in front of him. "Thanks, dear." 

"We think he's through with the change," Sonja said. "Walter said that you boys didn't turn into a werewolf until your first full moon. So I guess we'll have to wait until April 5th to find out if Wade's a werewolf, too." 

Ellison finished the oatmeal and pushed the bowl aside. "If he is, it will take about a year for him to control shape-shifting between human and wolf. Until then, we'll look out for him." 

"Thanks, Jim," Sonja said. 

"I better head outside to start with the spring cleanup," Ellison said. It was going to be a warm day in the upper sixties, so Ellison didn't grab a coat; his sweatshirt should be enough. 

Walter, Mac, Methos, and Alex had gone out to the plot of land for the elder Skinners' home and were starting to prepare the site. Last fall they had removed three large oak trees that Wade was now using for his chainsaw carvings. Sean must have radioed Walter that he was bringing the backhoe that to day. John had cooking duties, and Sonja had sent him out to the root cellar for ingredients for lunch and dinner. 

The air had a unique scent in early spring that gave Ellison more zest as he walked out the back door and headed over to the tool shed to collect the gardening tools. He started on the vegetable garden closest to the house. As he was working, Blair and Joey joined him. 

"Did you like the backhoe?" Ellison asked his son. 

"It was big," Joey said. 

Blair gave instructions to their son. "Joey, I need you to help me pick up the sticks and stones, and put them in the wheelbarrow." 

They worked for over a half hour before Joey started to wear out. Ellison was surprised their son was able to last that long. 

"I tired," Joey said and sat in the dirt. 

Wade came out of the house and walked over to them. "Since I'm feeling better, I thought I'd help with the spring cleanup." 

"Thanks, Wade," Blair said. "I'm going to take Joey inside and turn him over to Fox then I'll be right back." 

Leaning against the hoe, Ellison watched as Blair scooped Joey into his arms and carried him back to the house. 

Wade picked up the rake and started to make a mound of the dead plants that Ellison had dug up. Ellison watched him for a few seconds before continuing to shovel and turn over the rich black soil. His mind marveled at the change Wade had just gone through. Unlike Naomi who still looked pretty much the same as she did before the change, Wade was noticeably younger in appearance. If Ellison hadn't known Wade was in his seventies, he would have guessed the man was in his mid to late fifties. The one going through the toughest change was Joe. So far his legs had grown back to his ankles and Laura was hopeful that he'd complete the rejuvenation of his limbs within a week. Joe was barely able to tolerate the pain. Sean had dropped off some morphine last week and Naomi was treating Joe with it along with the feverfew tea. 

After Blair returned, they continued to work in silence and made quick work of the first two vegetable gardens. All the while, Ellison plotted. Whenever Blair was close Ellison would innocently rub up against him. The smell of Blair's arousal filled the Sentinel's senses. 

Sonja rang the bell for lunch. 

"Let's go eat," Wade said, leaning the rake against the wheelbarrow. 

"You go ahead, Wade," Ellison said. "I have something I want to discuss with Blair." 

Wade gave them an odd look. "If you're not inside in an hour, I won't be able to stop Sonja from putting the leftovers away." 

"Jim, can't we talk after we eat?" Blair sighed. 

"No." Ellison grabbed his hand and pulled Blair in the direction of the path leading to their four acres of farmland. When they were out of sight of the house, Ellison pulled Blair into his arms and kissed him hard and wantonly, until Blair was kissing him back passionately. Pulling away, Ellison shape-shifted into a panther and raced off down the path. 

The intense desire to become pregnant increased even more now that he was in animal form. Soon he heard Blair chasing behind him in wolf-form. Ellison was faster than his lover so he slowed to allow Blair to catch up. 

Blair didn't ask, as he tried to mount Ellison from behind. 

"Hold on, Chief," Ellison said, leaping out of his husband's reach. "I thought you wanted to wait a couple of years." 

"I've changed my mind," Blair growled, circling around Ellison his nostrils flaring. 

"If you get me pregnant, I want some assurances," Ellison said. He was equally as horny as his lover but he wasn't going to past this opportunity to get concessions from Blair. 

"What assurances?" 

"That you'll wait on me hand and foot," Ellison said, "If I have cravings in the middle of the night, you'll get up and make me whatever I'm craving. You'll find me some dignified maternity clothes." 

"Sure whatever you want," the wolf said as he jumped up on panther's back. 

Ellison felt his lover's long cock slide into his slick opening. Whether he would come to regret this decision later or not, at the moment, didn't matter. All that mattered was the warm body on top of his and the jolts of pleasure from the deep thrusts. Thoughts vanished into a burst of stars as Ellison experienced the first of several orgasms. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Beaver 

Thursday, April 1, 2004 

The late afternoon light filtered in through the bedroom windows. The pain was slowly ebbing as the feverfew tea took affect. Fraser pulled on his jeans. They would have three pain-free hours to use the bathroom, eat, and exercise before the pain returned, forcing them back to bed. Six weeks had passed since Naomi had infected them, and according to Fox, they had at least two weeks left before the change was complete. 

At least Wade was over the change. His early recovery was due of the larger dose of feverfew tea he had received. 

"Hurry up, Benny, I want to spend some time outside," Ray grumbled. 

Joe chuckled from his bed. "As soon as my toes grow back in I'll join you." 

Fraser smiled at him. "It shouldn't be more than a couple of days." He wondered if Joe would have to learn how to walk again. Adam and Mac had been helping Naomi give Joe massages; Fraser was sure that with their help, Joe would be getting around with no problem. 

A commotion outside their room drew the guys quickly into the great room. They arrived just as Alex, John, Jim, Blair, and Walter took off running out the front door. 

"What's wrong?" Fraser asked. 

"Langly radioed," Fox said with the twins clinging to his long legs. "Liz finally completed the change. She attacked them before fleeing from their home. Frohike has gone out looking for her, and Langly is worried because Frohike was bleeding profusely from a bite on the wrist." 

Fox looked down at his daughters. "I want to go out and search for him, but I can't leave them." 

"Don't worry, son." Wade put a hand on Fox's shoulder. "Walter and the others will find Melvin and Liz -- the twins need you here today." 

Fraser noticed the birthday decorations in the dining room. Most one-year-olds didn't really understand the significance of their first birthday; it was more for their parents -- but these children seemed smarter than most at their age. 

"Where are the other children?" Ray asked. 

"Mac, Adam, and Naomi have taken them to see the new hatchlings in the incubator in the barn," Wade said. "Diefenbaker is with them." 

"Where's Sonja?" Fraser asked. 

"She went to pick mushrooms in the root cellar..." Wade paused and hurried to the back door. He got there just as Sonja walked inside carrying a basket of large portabella mushrooms. 

"What's wrong, dear?" she asked. 

"Liz turned into a werewolf and she's on the loose." Wade took the basket from his wife. "I was worried that you might run into her." 

"Oh dear...." Sonja was visibly upset. "Has anyone gone out to look for her?" 

"Yes. Don't worry, dear, they'll find her." 

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Stan asked. 

"No." Wade shook his head. "Nothing more can be done at this point." 

"What about the Banks?" Fraser asked. "Has anyone warned them?" 

"Langly was going to radio Simon," Fox said. 

"Has Liz bitten anyone?" Sonja asked. 

"Frohike and Langly," Fox said. 

"I suppose it was bound to happen eventually," Sonja said. 

"Something smells delicious, Mrs. Skinner," Ray said, effectively changing the subject as his stomach growled. 

Sonja turned to Ray. "I made you boys something special for dinner. Why don't you take a seat at the counter while I get it out of the oven? And I've told you to call me Sonja. This isn't the old neighborhood, Ray Vecchio." 

Ray grinned. "Old habits, ma'am." 

Since there was nothing to do but wait for word about Liz and Frohike, Fraser followed his lovers over to the counter. He was starving. They were usually in too much pain to eat breakfast and lunch so dinner became the only meal of the day they could enjoy. Sonja always tried to make them something nutritious. 

Wade joined them while Fox picked up his daughters and went to look out the front window. 

Sonja pulled three chicken pot pies out of the oven. 

"Those look incredible, Sonja," Stan said. 

Fraser turned to Wade. "How's the construction coming on your home?" The men had been working on it the past four days, and the last Fraser had heard they had run into a problem digging the root cellar. Under the soil were large stones and boulders. They had to use dynamite to blow apart some of the larger boulders. 

"Great. We finished blasting out the root cellar just before noon and made an interesting discovery," he said. 

"What discovery?" 

"We broke through to the caves where Moonridge Lodge's root cellar is located," Wade said. "Walter wants to build steps down into the cavern from my cellar and clear any obstacles leading to their caves, then run electric lights from our part of the caves to theirs. It's about a mile and a half." 

"Why didn't you mention this at lunch?" Sonja asked. 

"Walter wanted to save it as a surprise." Wade grinned. "So pretend I didn't tell you." 

"How close are the mushroom beds from our place?" Sonja asked. 

"About half a mile, but we can build our own mushroom beds closer." 

Fox walked into the kitchen with Aviva and Chloe following behind him. "If the snow ever gets too deep, like it did this winter after the diesel fuel ran out, you and Dad can walk here through the caves." 

"I wonder if there are any caves on our property," Fraser said. 

"There probably are," Fox said. "Once you're better we can search your land. It would save us a lot of work if we can use underground caves for your root cellar." 

"I can't wait to get out on our land and explore it," Fraser said. Two more weeks of being too sick to work seemed like a long time when the weather was so nice. He spent most of his time dreaming about what their home would look like and had decided that he wanted four bedrooms instead of two as they had discussed building. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Frog 

Thursday, April 1, 2004 

The bleeding from the wound on Frohike's wrist had slowed by the time he caught up with his wife, who growled and snapped at him. Losing so much blood had caused the oldest gunman to become light-headed and dizzy. "Liz, please ... you have to remember who I am," Frohike said as the world spun out of control around him. 

He must have passed out because when Frohike opened his eyes he was lying on the ground with his head on his wife's lap. The werewolf was gone and Liz's beautiful face gazed down at him, blue eyes filled with concern. 

"Mel, are you all right?" Liz asked. 

"You're a redhead," Frohike said as he reached up and touched his wife's amber locks. 

A look of confusion passed over Liz's face as her eyes lit upon her long red hair. "What happened?" 

"Naomi bit you and for the last six weeks you've been in a coma," Frohike said just as Walter and the other men arrived in wolf form. 

The men shape-shifted back into human form, and Walter kneeled beside Frohike and Liz. 

"Are you both all right?" Walter asked. 

"I think so," Liz said. "How's Naomi doing?" 

"She's fine." Walter looked down at Frohike. "Did you tell her?" 

"I was about to but you guys arrived." 

Frohike sat up and John helped the smaller man to his feet while Walter helped Liz. 

"Tell me what?" Liz asked, brushing the dirt off her white cotton nightgown. 

"You and Naomi are both werewolves," Frohike said as he marveled at his wife's youthful appearance. She looked like she was in her late thirties or early forties. 

"Oh my, what does that mean?" 

"It means you're going to live forever," Frohike said. 

"I don't want to live forever if it means living it without you," Liz said as she looked deeply into his eyes. 

"Don't worry, Liz, you're not getting rid of me that easily. After you turned into a werewolf you bit Langly and me, infecting us with the Lycan virus," Frohike said. "The only problem now is we're going to be sick for the next two months, so you and Jimmy will have to plant our spring crops and tend to the animals." 

"Maybe not," Blair said smiling. "In a couple of weeks the feverfew plants should be large enough that we'll be able to treat your symptoms with fresh feverfew tea. It should give you enough relief from the pain to allow you to help with the chores." 

Frohike grinned. "If my wife weren't here I'd kiss you." 

"It's the twins' birthday," Walter interrupted, "And I'd like to get back to them. So why don't we help you home and tomorrow my Mom and Dad will bring you a kettle of her chicken noodle soup." 

"Mm, I can't wait," Liz said, taking Frohike's hand. 

As they walked through the woods, Frohike had a lot on his mind. In less than eight weeks he'd be a werewolf. Looking at Liz, Frohike wondered if she might be able to become pregnant. Nothing would thrill either of them more than having a child of their own. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Rat 

Sunday, April 4, 2004 

Green eyes stared at him from the mirror over the dresser while a gentle breeze blew through the open windows billowing out the silken drapes. The air had a hint of ozone to it -- a storm must be brewing in the distance. At least the rain shouldn't ruin his and John's wedding -- they were holding it inside the house. 

John had kept his word; they were having a small wedding with just the members of their household as witnesses. They had invited Paul and Mike, but with the spring planting the two men couldn't make it. Sonja had baked a combination wedding/birthday cake and she and Fox were making trout almandine from the trout that Walter, John, Adam, and Mac had caught yesterday afternoon. 

"Are you nervous?" John asked as he stepped into their bedroom. 

"No." Krycek finished knotting his tie as he met John's blue eyes in the mirror -- eyes that gave Krycek a warm feeling of being home whenever he gazed into them. "I'm relieved to be getting this over with finally." 

"You're the one who didn't want to get married." 

"You changed my mind." 

"Gwen's excited," John said as he walked over to lean against the dresser. "She looks like a little princess in that lacy dress Sonja made for her." 

Their daughter was their pride and joy, and Krycek wanted another one. "Now that we're getting married, will you consider having our next child?" 

John chuckled. "I'll tell you what -- I'll have a baby after Jim has one." 

"You don't think Jim will go through with it, do you?" Krycek hated waiting and he knew that Jim and Blair weren't planning to have another baby for a few years. 

"No. I think he'll get cold feet." 

"If he goes through with it will you have my baby?" Krycek turned and put his hands on John's hips. 

"Sure." John leaned in and kissed Krycek softly on the lips. "If Jim can do it then so can I." 

Krycek shook his head. He knew his lover too well -- John was just agreeing because he didn't think Jim would actually go through with it and in three to four years if Jim did, this conversation would have been forgotten. "I want your word on it that if Jim gets pregnant, you will, too." 

"You have my word." John shrugged. "Now let's get married. Reverend Desmond is here and he brought with him a Reverend William Kahn and his wife, Wilma. They just settled in Holton." 

Eyes narrowed with suspicion, Krycek asked, "This Reverend doesn't have a problem with two men marrying?" 

"He and his wife said they didn't," John said. "And they seemed like a pleasant couple." 

"Okay, I'm ready." Krycek gave John a quick peck on the lips then headed toward the door. "Let's get this over with so we can eat." 

~x~X~x~ 

The Dog 

Rain poured down outside, drenching the ground while thunder boomed overhead. In the dry comfort of the great room, Doggett and Alex stood before Reverend Desmond as he performed the marriage ceremony. A feeling of excitement twisted in Doggett's gut; this marriage meant more to him than his first one to Barb. While Doggett had loved her at the time, his feelings for her couldn't hold a candle to what he felt for Alex. 

The ceremony was over and before Doggett knew it he had Alex's ring on his finger and was being kissed passionately by him. The former FBI agent wondered if Alex hadn't arranged an abridged ceremony with the Reverend just to get it over with quickly. 

They ended the kiss and their friends and family stepped up to congratulate them. Walter shook Alex's then Doggett's hand while Fox hugged and kissed Alex before turning him over to Blair and Jim, and moving on to Doggett. 

"We've come a long way since you showed up on my doorstep," Fox said as he hugged Doggett. "I'm glad you and Alex finally made it official, you balance each other perfectly." 

"We do, don't we?" Doggett smiled, he'd always have a pleasant memory of his and Fox's short time together as lovers but they both found someone who suited them better. "I guess we each found our soul mates." 

A flashbulb drew Doggett's attention to Wilma Kahn. The woman said she took photographs of the weddings they performed and would put together albums for the couples. Mrs. Kahn had a round friendly face and was slightly overweight. Doggett estimated her age to be around fifty, same as her husband. 

"I better help Sonja with the trout," Fox said. 

Naomi and Joe walked over to congratulate them. Earlier that morning, Joe's legs had completed rejuvenating but he was still shaky on his feet and had to lean on Naomi for support. Benton, Stan, and Ray were going through the final stages of the change and were confined to bed. 

"Congratulations, guys," Joe said as he shook Alex's and Doggett's hands. 

"Thanks, Joe," Alex said. 

Mac and Adam were the last to congratulate them before Reverend Desmond ushered Doggett and Alex over to sign the marriage certificate. 

"John, I need you and Alex to sign the marriage certificate." 

"Sure, Reverend." They followed the Reverend over to the desk. 

Reverend Kahn stayed close to Desmond's side. "Where do you file the marriage certificates?" 

"I file them with the Holton city hall," Reverend Desmond replied. "You'll get used to the process as soon as you start performing weddings here." 

"I'm looking forward to overseeing a congregation again, and performing weddings and baptisms," Kahn said. 

From the brief conversation Doggett had with the man, he discovered that Reverend Kahn's parish had been destroyed during the alien attack. He and his wife had recently moved to Holton and hoped to minister to the citizens there and to this area of the mountain. 

"Mm, something sure smells delicious," Kahn said. 

Reverend Desmond smiled. "You're in for a treat, Bill; Sonja Skinner is an excellent cook. If I lived closer to this area, I'd make it a point to stop for Sunday meals." 

While Doggett's father was a religious man, Doggett could take it or leave it. Since his son's murder, he preferred to leave it. So the former agent was rather grateful that neither Reverend lived close to them. An occasional nuisance visit was about all that Doggett could handle. 

They took their places around the table while Fox and Wade set plates with trout almandine on a bed of rice in front of each of them. The children were served stir-fried rice. The tiny bones in the trout were just too dangerous for them to eat at their age. 

"Your children are all well behaved," Wilma Kahn said. 

As Sonja took her seat at the table, she said, "They're only shy." 

Doggett thought that it was probably a good thing that Chloe, Aviva, and Joey were too shy to talk around these strangers; it might be hard to explain when they started referring to two men as "mommy". That brought Doggett back to Alex's request for him to have their next baby. Glancing across the table at Jim, Doggett wondered if the other man would actually go through with it. If Jim did then Doggett would be stuck, he'd have to become pregnant -- if there was one thing Doggett was, he was a man of his word. 

At least his father was coming up at the end of the month. Paul said he had a belated birthday and wedding present for Doggett and Alex, but Paul wouldn't tell him what it was. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Wolf 

Monday, April 5, 2004 

The weather was perfect as the men worked outside under a canopy of branches from the tall trees on Skinners' property. They had cleared a space for the log home by removing three large oak trees last fall, but there were still many more near the home. Sandburg was teamed with Alex. They were cutting and nailing a wooden sub floor into place over the large cellar. The first floor was going to have a large open kitchen and dining area, laundry room, parlor, master bedroom and bathroom, with a front porch facing the path and over-looking the lake. Upstairs there would be a sewing loft, two additional bedrooms for when the grandkids spent the night, and a bathroom. 

Sandburg tried to imagine what the place would look like, complete. Warm, friendly and full of love was the image that popped into his mind -- Joey was going to love this place as much as he loved Grandpa and Grandma. All of the kids called Wade and Sonja that. Paul Doggett was the kids' other Grandpa, and they were always excited when he and Uncle Mike came to visit. Sandburg's mother was just Naomi -- his mom didn't feel comfortable with titles. 

The cellar was framed and a door had been installed in front of the cave entrance. Fox wanted to conceal the cave's entrance by installing shelves that would swing open when a secret lever was pressed. Wade told him that once the log home was complete, he'd design and build something more creative than a swinging bookshelf into the caves. Walter and Wade were building a staircase that led down into the caves, fitting it into the rock ledge and then down the fifteen feet into the cavern. 

As Sandburg worked, he kept an eye on Jim who was working along side Adam and Mac. It had been less than two weeks since Sandburg had impregnated his lover. Jim wanted to keep it a secret for now because he didn't want any special treatment. It wouldn't be long before the other guys noticed; Jim's scent was already different. Tonight was a full moon; it wouldn't surprise Sandburg if the other men noticed while they were werewolves. To be honest, Jim mainly wanted to keep Naomi in the dark for as long as possible. 

"What's wrong?" Alex asked. 

"Nothing," Sandburg replied. "I'm just enjoying the perfect weather." 

"You're also missing the beam through the two by fours." 

Looking down at the board he was nailing, Sandburg noticed his last three nails had missed the beam by half an inch. "Oops." He turned the hammer around and used the clawed end to remove the nails. 

It was hard concentrating when his lover was shirtless and sweating only a couple of dozen feet away, and knowing that Jim had their baby growing inside him made it impossible to work this close to him. The baby should be born around Christmas; it seemed so far off. Sandburg wondered whether they'd have a boy or a girl. He wanted a girl, while Jim wanted another boy. Jim was still worried about whether he could raise a girl, even after taking care of Gwen, Chloe, and Aviva. 

"We need to give Simon a hand on his barn tomorrow," Alex said. 

"At least it shouldn't take us long to build," Sandburg replied. 

The Ranger had gotten a barn kit for Simon from a lumber mill on the other side of the mountain. The mill sold kits that included plans and all of the wood precut, along with windows, shingles, and doors. It should only take them, working as a team, a couple of days to raise the barn. Simon and Daryl had spent the last week preparing the site and building their chicken coop. 

Sandburg couldn't remember the last time he'd seen his former boss happier. Jin was five month pregnant and had started to show. She would be giving birth to their baby in August. 

Walter had ordered a stable kit from the mill that Sean would be picking up in a couple of weeks. At the end of this month, Paul Doggett was coming up with his prized bull to breed with Bambi and Phoebe. Paul was also bringing six young milking cows -- one each for Byers and Simon, two for Frohike, and two for Moonridge lodge. Walter had wanted four new milking cows, but he was willing to wait until next year to get the additional cows. 

Being self-sufficient gave Sandburg a feeling a security and contentment. He really enjoyed life on the mountain with his friends and family. Most of his days were filled from sunrise to sunset. Life was never dull between chores, taking care of and teaching the children, his personal studies and journals; Sandburg was never at a loss for something to do. 

Currently he was researching olive trees, looking for a hybrid tree that might grow in their climate. So far he'd had no luck. Only one hybrid could survive if temperatures dropped to five Fahrenheit. Last winter they had a few days where it got down to minus ten below, which was abnormally low for their area. The normal low temperature was usually ten above. Very seldom did it get below zero. Even so, they just needed an unusually cold winter to lose all of the olive trees. Fox had suggested planting the trees in a sheltered area and using smudge pots when the temperatures dipped too low. It might be worth a try, plus it gave Sandburg the opportunity to try to produce a sturdy hybrid himself. 

Sandburg carefully nailed in the floor boards. The foundation around the house was stone and mortar. They found all the stone they needed while digging the root cellar. They even had enough for two fireplaces, plus Wade wanted to build a bay window out of stones to contrast the logs. The sound of Jim's laughter pulled Sandburg's attention over to his lover who was listening to one of Adam's stories as they positioned the first log in place. Jim was incredibly handsome when he laughed. The guide turned his attention back to his job; he couldn't lose focus. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Owl 

Monday, April 5, 2004 

Yesterday, the rejuvenation of Dawson's legs had been completed when his toenails had grown in. Unlike Ray, Benton, and Stan, Dawson was finally through with the change. Yesterday, he had even been able to get up and celebrate Alex's and John's wedding with the rest of the family. 

Walking had been difficult at first, but once Dawson didn't think about putting one foot in front of the other, it became easier. This was his first full day out of bed and he was staying close to the house, just in case he had a relapse. It felt great to finally be out of bed and he couldn't wait to get over to the mill to see the progress that Sean, Mac, Methos, and Wade made with the crew from the Timberlake cabins. The stainless steel brewing vessels had been installed in the basement of the structure with the help of Wade's plumbing skills. Having Sean as Dawson's silent partner was paying off big -- the ranger was able to get a good deal on the brewing equipment. He had a lot of connections throughout the country, and had a knack for bartering. 

Walter, Fox, and the other men had loaned Joe enough money to pay the salaries of the men helping with the construction. The wives of the men from the Timberlake cabins hadn't wanted their men working for bar credits and put their foot down. The loan also was used for building materials that weren't easily scavenged from the ruins. 

Dawson was touched by the men's generosity and knew that he had made life long friends. 

The house was quiet; Naomi and Sonja had taken Connor, Gwen, and Joey with them to deliver lunch to the men working on the Skinners' log home, leaving Fox to take care of the twins and John with cooking duty. 

"Mommy, I wet," Chloe said as she ran over to Fox who was lifting a pitcher of iced tea out the refrigerator. 

Dawson watched Fox as he calmly set the pitcher on the counter then picked up his daughter and carried her into the bathroom. Aviva hurried after them. Fox was staying close to home for another reason. The twins refused to let him out of their sight and would throw a tantrum whenever he wasn't nearby. Sonja thought they were going through a phase during which they wanted their mother to be at their beck and call. So Fox had to be assigned either cooking duty or baby-sitting duty until the twins got over this phase. 

"Are you ready for tonight?" John asked as he set two freshly baked loaves of bread on the counter. 

"Ready for what?" Dawson asked. 

"There's a full moon tonight." John smiled. "You're going to get your first experience as a werewolf." 

"This soon?" The thought of turning into a werewolf was unsettling. What if he didn't turn back? What if he killed someone? 

"Don't worry, Joe." John must have noticed the look of distress on Dawson's face. "I was nervous the first time too, but I wouldn't give up being a werewolf now for anything." 

Looking toward the bathroom, Dawson asked, "Is Fox going to be able to get away from the twins?" 

"He'll probably have to stay here," John said. "While the pull of the full moon is impossible to resist for new werewolves, we're able to control when we change. Although it's almost impossible not to change during the full moon, there's a narcotic high that comes from being a werewolf when the moon is full." 

The twins ran out of the bathroom with Fox following them. "I've come to the conclusion that they don't even want to attempt to use the potty chair because they prefer that I change their diapers. I'll probably be changing their diapers until they get married, then I'll finally be able to turn that responsibility over to their husbands." 

"They just had their first birthday." John chuckled. "If they're still refusing to use the potty chair this time next year then I'll say you have something to complain about." 

"Connor was in training pants already at their age." Fox picked up the pitcher and poured himself a glass of ice tea before heading into the great room to watch Aviva and Chloe play with their toys. 

"Do you need any help?" Dawson asked John. 

"I have a load of laundry in the dryer, if you'd like to do some ironing." John said. "I have three ducks hanging outside the back door that I need to clean for dinner." 

"No problem. I'm just happy to be able to pull my weight around here again." Dawson headed to the laundry room. 

While he was ironing a pair of bib-overalls, Naomi walked into the room. 

"Let me give you a hand," she said. 

"I'm almost done. How's the construction coming?" 

"Good. They have the first floor's sub floor in." Naomi leaned against the dryer. "They want to install the flagstone in the kitchen where the woodstove is going to be, so they can bring it in before starting on the walls." 

"How are Ray, Ben, and Stan doing?" Dawson asked, knowing that Naomi would have checked on them before coming to help him with the laundry, even though Fox and John had been keeping a close eye on the men. 

"They're sleeping." 

"John was telling me that tonight is a full moon...." 

"I know. I've been feeling its pull for the last couple of days. We'll be changing into werewolves tonight," Naomi said, smiling. 

"You sound excited," Dawson said. 

"I am. Even though I don't remember my time as werewolf during the last full moon, I'm sure I had a fun time." Naomi put her arms around Dawson's neck and kissed him. 

Blood rushed to Dawson's cock, making the organ rock hard as his arousal spiked off the map. Something about her scent was inflaming his ardor even more than usual as she rubbed against him. 

"Teahouse?" Naomi said breathlessly as she ended the kiss. 

"Teahouse." Dawson nodded, having enough forethought to turn off the iron and put it away before hurrying off with Naomi. 

~x~X~x~ 

Wade Skinner 

Monday, April 5, 2004 

Twigs snapped under Wade's paws as he followed his son and the other five wolves and a panther through the forest. Only Fox wasn't with them. The moon glowed brightly overhead, illuminating the darkness. They'd been running nonstop since they changed into wolves. 

Walter stopped by a waterfall and took a sip of the cold mountain water. 

"It's beautiful," Wade said as he watched the sparkling water cascading over rocks. 

"Night is more vivid through a wolf's eyes," Blair said. 

"I never experienced anything like this before," Joe said his voice filled with awe. 

Sniffing the air, Alex padded over to Jim and gave him a puzzled look. "You smell different." 

All the wolves turned their attention to the panther. Walter was the first to say what was on the others' minds. "You're pregnant." 

"Busted," Jim sighed. "We wanted to keep it a secret for a few more months." 

"Oh, Jim, this is great news!" Naomi said. 

The Sentinel smiled at her. "At least you won't remember when we return to human form." 

"You'd keep this from me?" Naomi gave him a hurt look. 

"Damn." Jim sighed. "Okay, I'll tell you when we change back." 

"John, you're being awfully quiet," Walter said. 

"I'm just wondering if Fox saved your maternity bib-overalls," John said. "It looks like I'm going to need them." 

"Why? You're not pregnant," Blair said. 

"Not yet ... Alex and I discussed having another child now that we're married." John glanced over at his lover. "It looks like we'll be trying to have one this year." 

Wade sat on his haunches, listening to their conversation. Although he knew where the other babies had come from, it was still hard for him to imagine a man being pregnant. On the other hand, he was detecting a similar scent coming from Naomi but it wasn't nearly as strong as Jim's. Being a gentleman, Wade didn't call attention to it. 

"I'm sure Paul would welcome another grandchild," Naomi said. 

"He's coming in three weeks. Alex and I will discuss it with him," John said. 

"Paul will be thrilled." Alex chuckled. "We might have to put him up at the house until the baby is born." 

Wade interrupted. "Then we better get my log home done so there's room." 

Naomi spoke up. "I'm moving in with Joe as soon as his place is built." 

"As soon as Ben, Stan, and Ray are on their feet, we can get started on clearing the land for their home," Walter said, clearly excited at the prospect of having their home to themselves again. 

"Why don't we head over there and scout their land," Wade said. "I know they wanted to check for caves and build their home next to or on top of one and use it as their root cellar." 

"Good suggestion, Dad," Walter said. "As wolves we should be able to detect caves easier than we can as humans." 

"I'd rather hunt rabbits," Alex said. 

"We'll hunt rabbits while we look for caves," John said. 

Wade smiled as they took off in the direction of the land where Ray, Ben, and Stan would be building their home. The elder Skinner liked having a man from the old neighborhood living on the mountain. If they could find a cave and start clearing the land while working on his and Sonja's home, they should be able to get both done before winter or sooner. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Lynx 

Sunday, April 11, 2004 

"We've captured him," Covarrubias announced as she stepped inside the smoker's inner sanctum. The room was dimly lit and reeked of stale cigarette smoke and cologne. The old man looked awful. His skin was a pasty color with blue veins visible beneath. 

Looking up from behind his desk, Spender set the wedding album down. "Where is he?" 

Covarrubias' eyes narrowed slightly as she looked down at the album. She had delivered it to him that morning, only after looking through it herself. The contents had disturbed and aroused her. For one, she couldn't believe Krycek had married Agent Doggett. What was he thinking? Then there were the few candid shots of Agent Mulder. After all this time, Covarrubias still had a crush on him and he looked incredible in those photographs -- more beautiful than she remembered. 

"Marita?" 

Blue eyes lifted to meet her employer's. "He is inside a holding cell in the basement." 

"I want him brought up to me." 

"At once, sir," Covarrubias said, turning on her heels and heading out of the room. 

She took the elevator down to the basement and was met by two security guards. Down the hall, in front of the cell, were four more guards. The building and surrounding area was well protected by both people and electronic surveillance. It would take a small army to penetrate their defenses. 

"CGB Spender wants to see the prisoner. Get him ready," she ordered. 

A few minutes later Jeffrey Spender was pulled out of the cell in ankle irons and shackles. Covarrubias couldn't bring herself to look at his destroyed face -- shattered from a bullet fired by his own father, then ruined further by years of experimentation by his father's scientists. Without the plastic prosthesis it was a gruesome sight of exposed bones and scarred flesh. 

"You're looking as beautiful as always, Marita," Jeffrey said in a wheezy voice, barely above a whisper. 

"Why do you go on living?" she asked, knowing if she was in his shoes she would have ended it long ago. Covarrubias knew all too well what it was like being a lab rat for scientists to experiment upon, and no way would she return to that life. Death was preferable. 

"He's still alive," Jeffrey said as they stepped onto the freight elevator accompanied by four guards. "A father shouldn't outlive his children." He giggled -- a disturbing sound coming from such a broken man. 

Covarrubias shuddered involuntarily. She suspected that young Jeffrey Spender was insane, and had been for years. Maybe she was insane too, for coming back to work for the smoker instead of going into hiding. Silently, she cursed Krycek for not finishing the job by putting a bullet in the old man's head after pushing him down the stairs. Krycek would pay dearly for that mistake in the near future. 

They left the elevator and the guards took positions outside of CGB Spender's private quarters while she escorted Jeffrey inside the room. 

"Father," Jeffrey snarled the word. If it weren't for the manacles, Covarrubias was sure he'd have gone for his father's throat. 

"Jeffrey, it's nice to have you home." The smoker leaned back in his chair and lit a cigarette. "You look like shit, boy, unlike your brother Fox who has improved with age." 

"You never blew a hole through his face at close range." 

"You always were a whiny brat." Opening the album, the old man held it up for Jeffrey to see. Spender seemed to enjoy the torment he was inflicting on his son. "Fox has given me three grandchildren ... aren't they beautiful?" 

Jeffrey became silent as he stared at the photo of Fox kneeling with his arms around two little baby girls and a boy. "What are you planning? Haven't you ruined his life enough already?" 

"My plans don't concern you." Spender turned to Covarrubias. "You may take my son back to his room. He needs to get his rest; our scientists have a whole new series of tests to perform on him tomorrow." 

"Yes, sir." She kept her face blank to hide her horror and disgust. One thing Covarrubias had learned was never to show weakness around the Consortium members or she'd have gone on to suffer like Jeffrey - if they'd chosen to permit her survival. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Badger 

Wednesday, April 14, 2004 

After finally completing the change, Kowalski no longer cared that he had grown a cunt, at least he was no longer in pain and bedridden. Two months of being confined inside was two months too long. 

When they walked out of the bedroom, Walter was waiting for them. "Now that you're feeling better why don't you guys take a week to relax and get back on your feet before resuming work?" 

"No," Kowalski said. "I want to help with your parent's house and start clearing our land. We've been idle too long." 

"Yeah, we're fine and raring to go," Ray said. 

"Okay, I just didn't want you to feel like you have to help right away," Walter said. "You just went through a major change." 

"Don't worry, Walter, we want to work," Ben said. "We're looking forward to it." 

"Okay, shall we start by taking a hike up to your land?" Walter said. "The other men and I scouted the area over a week ago and think we've found the perfect location to build your house, but you'll have to make the final decision." 

"Great, let's get going!" Ray said as they walked into the kitchen. 

Fox set an insulated nylon bag on the table. "Guys, I made sandwiches for you to take along with you." 

Diefenbaker barked. 

"There's a sandwich in the bag for you, too." 

"Thanks, sweetheart," Walter said, leaning in and kissing his lover before slinging the nylon bag over his shoulder. "When Seacouver's is open for business I'm taking you there for dinner. Our children can spend the night at their grandparent's home." 

"I'd settle for a weenie roast and a pup tent in the front yard," Fox said. 

Walter smiled. "I'll radio Paul tomorrow and see if he can bring up some hotdogs when he comes." 

Kowalski sighed. "I'd kill for a Chicago dog." 

"You're not the only one," Ray echoed. 

"We have the rest of the ingredients, minus the poppy seed buns, if Paul can get his hands on Vienna dogs and buns," Walter said. 

"I'm looking forward to meeting John's Father," Ben said. He nodded at Fox as they headed to the back door. "Thank you kindly." 

Fox smiled. "I figured you guys will want to get some work done on your land." 

"We'll be back in time for dinner," Ray called as he stepped outside. 

Kowalski smiled. It was a gorgeous day. Naomi and Sonja were working in the vegetable gardens. 

"We'll need to clear land for crops before we start building your home," Walter said. "We'll want to have enough food to stock all our root cellars for winter." 

"You mentioned you got your flour, rice, and sugar from Ranger Smith," Kowalski said. He hadn't met the Ranger yet but the man sounded helpful. 

"Yes." Walter nodded as they headed in the direction of the teahouse. "Sean gets it from the military's food distribution centers. We'll put you on the list." 

The three-mile hike was invigorating. Kowalski took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air as they stopped on a flat rocky plateau that looked out over a wide stream thirty feet below. This was the highest point on their land and it had a magnificent view. 

"This is it," Walter said as he showed them a ragged hole going into the ground. "We found it when the rabbit Alex was chasing disappeared down it. This ledge is solid granite and beneath it is a series of caves. We'll have to do a little blasting to widen the entrance so we can build steps going down. One tunnel exits at the bottom of the hill by the stream. We'll want to install a door or seal that one off to prevent bears from wintering inside the caves. There's an underground pond in one of the caverns." 

"The location is a perfect!" Ben said. 

Ray looked down at the stream and whistled. "I'll say ... what a view." 

Ben pointed to the far end of the ledge a couple hundred feet away. "We can put up a windmill over there." 

"We can build a deck overlooking the stream," Kowalski said. It wasn't a straight drop off but a steep hill going down to the stream, they could probably clear a path going down. "This place is cool." 

"I'm glad you guys approve," Walter said. "We can start chopping down the trees for your log home, tomorrow. We'll use that land to plant your crops before we start construction. By the time your home is complete; you'll be harvesting your vegetables and putting them up for winter." 

"My thoughts exactly," Ben said. 

"I want to grow plenty of green beans, tomatoes, and zucchini," Ray said. 

All of this preplanning was too much for Kowalski; he just wanted to concentrate on building their home. Planting and tending crops was something he didn't want to deal with at the present. He'd leave that to Ben and Ray as long as they.... "Don't forget to plant potatoes." 

Walter chuckled. "Potatoes, green peppers, corn, peas, lettuce, sweet potatoes, celery, eggplants, cucumbers, spinach, beets ... you'll want a variety to get you through winter. Don't worry we have plenty of seeds." 

"Let's get started," Kowalski said as he imagined their home with a large stone fireplace where they could make love while lying in front of the hearth. He desperately wanted some time alone with Ben and Ray now that they were well again. He guessed they'd have to try out the Japanese teahouse. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Stork 

Friday, April 16, 2004 

"Is that it?" Langly asked tiredly, looking longingly at the steaming mug on the nightstand as Blair helped him sit up in bed. After two weeks of being in excruciating pain, Langly hoped this magic tea would make it go away. 

"Yes," Blair said, "This will make you feel better." 

Langly sure hoped so. He was tired of being cared for by Liz, knowing she would much rather be upstairs attending to Frohike's needs. It made the blond gunman feel like he was missing out on something special in life. With both of his amigos married, Langly wondered if he'd ever find someone or remain a bachelor for the rest of his life. Not that being single and baggage free was so bad, but at times like this when he was sick, having someone who would love and take care of him might be worth giving up his carefree lifestyle. 

There were a few people that Langly had fantasized about over the years -- mostly women, but there were a few men including Mulder, but no one he'd ever dream of pursuing. Langly sometimes wondered if something was wrong with him or if he just hadn't met the person he was meant to spend the rest of his life with. 

What would it be like to be so in love that all your thoughts and feelings revolved around that one person? Jimmy Bond was still pining for Yves Adele Harlow -- Jimmy thought that someday he'd find her or she'd find him and they'd be together again. 

"This tastes like crap," Langly said after he took a sip of the tea. 

"You'll get used to the flavor," Blair said. "Walter actually liked the taste." 

"Skinman also likes corn whiskey ... I think it killed his taste buds," Langly grumbled. After gagging down half the mug, he started to feel better. 

Blair chuckled. "His taste buds are just fine, according to Fox." 

Langly took another sip of tea. "So what else has been going on these last two weeks?" 

"We raised Simon's barn nine days ago and he moved his donkeys from your barn to his. Alex and John got married. We erected a stable for our horses with a corral. It was a pain since we had to move the compost pile, chop down a couple of trees, and unfortunately we lost one of our vegetable gardens. We're going to use some of our front yard for the garden. We've installed the gasoline and diesel tanks, and Sean has made a deal for us to get twelve ATVs. One for the Byers, two for you guys, two for the Banks, one for the Skinners, four for Moonridge Lodge, and two for Wolves Peak." 

"It sounds like you guys have been busy," Langly said. "What's Wolves Peak?" 

"It's Ray's, Stan's, and Ben's land. They're finally over the change and yesterday started clearing their land. We want to start planting their crops by May 1st." 

"Do you think I'll be well enough to help with the vegetable gardens?" Langly discovered that he enjoyed gardening almost as much as working with computers, and he'd been looking forward to the spring. While he still couldn't cook to save his soul, Langly had come to enjoy putting up the vegetables for winter under Frohike's supervision, he was pretty good at making tomato sauces, preserves and jelly. 

"We've tilled and weeded your vegetable gardens; all that's left to do is plant. I'm sure you'll be well enough to help, with the aid of the feverfew tea. Jimmy has started the seedlings in your greenhouse." Blair smiled. "Don't worry, Langly, you'll be up and pulling weeds in no time." 

"Okay, this year I'm going to win the giant pumpkin contest," Langly said with determination. 

"Wade and Simon are entering the contest this year, and I have a feeling that this year it will be a tight." 

"I'll win. My Kung fu is the best." 

"Man I don't know, John is using the seeds from the pumpkin he won with last year," Blair said. 

"I was a rookie then -- I'm not now." Langly climbed out of bed. "I want to take a bath and wash my hair." He hadn't washed his hair in over two weeks and it was feeling uncomfortable and greasy. 

"Okay. Liz has the tea and will see that you and Frohike get a dosage every four hours until you complete the change." 

"Thanks, Blair." 

"No problem, man." 

~x~X~x~ 

Sonja Skinner 

Monday, April 26, 2004 

In ten weeks Jin would be having her baby, so Sonja thought it would be the perfect time to have a baby shower for her. Most of the men weaseled out, with the exception of Fox who was still homebound because of the twins and Blair who had baby sitting duty. Wade, Walter, Stan, and Alex headed off the mountain on a scavenger run into the Baltimore ruins for more plumbing supplies. Mac, Adam, and Joe were working on the Seacouver Blue's Bar, Brew House, and Inn, while John, Jim, Simon, and Daryl were helping Ray and Benton remove the remaining tree stumps from the two acres of land they had cleared to plant their crops on. 

"Fox, would you mind giving me a hand?" Sonja said. 

"Sure, Mom," Fox said, heading into the kitchen. 

Aviva and Chloe were sitting on the floor in the great room with the other children, learning the names of animals from the flash cards Blair was holding up. They turned and watched Fox to make sure he didn't disappear from their sight. If anything the twins seemed to be getting even more possessive of him. 

"What do you want me to do?" he asked. 

"I need you to make the crepes while I make the filling." Sonja handed him a bowl. "I already have the batter made." 

While her son-in-law started on the crepes, Sonja gathered the ingredients for the filling -- mushrooms, frozen spinach, bacon, and parmesan cheese. Sonja wanted to have the crepes ready when her guests arrived for the baby shower. With Fox helping she'd get them done in plenty of time. He'd proven to be a better son-in-law than Sharon had been a daughter-in-law, but both were better than West's wife. 

The most important thing for Sonja was Walter's happiness, and Fox made him extremely happy. She remembered shortly after Walter's divorce during his brief visits home, how sad he had been. It had caused her no end of worry. She and Wade had discussed their son at length with no solution. They had considered setting Walter up on a blind date on one of his visits home, but the only single woman they knew was Francesca Vecchio, and the thought of their uptight son on a date with her, gave them both a good laugh. Fortunately Walter seemed to have loosened up a lot since then. 

The kids had moved on to singing as Blair played the guitar. Wade still hadn't had any luck making Gwen a child size guitar. 

Naomi came downstairs just as someone knocked on the front door. "I'll get it!" she called. 

Sonja wondered who it could be since none of their friends ever knocked. 

"C'mon in, Wilma," Naomi said, holding the door open. 

"Thank you for inviting me," Wilma Kahn said. The reverend's wife carried a wrapped gift in her arms along with her purse. She smiled as she looked around house. "Ranger Smith allowed me to use his ATV to get here. He's such a nice man ... it's such a waste he isn't married." 

"Marriage is overrated," Naomi said as she showed Wilma where to put the gift. 

"Oh no, dear," Wilma said. "Our society would collapse without marriage to hold it together like glue." 

Sonja interrupted. "Naomi, can you get Wilma a cup of tea." Knowing Blair's mother's views on marriage, Sonja wanted to stop their conversation before it could escalate. 

The front door opened and Jin and Wren walked inside. At almost seven months pregnant Jin was really showing her condition. "It's such a beautiful day," she said. 

"Did you and Wren walk?" Blair asked as Wren ran over to join the other kids. 

"No, we came in the buggy," Jin said. 

The horse buggy had been a present to Jin from Simon. It had a padded leather seat large enough for two adults, with four large wheels, and a folding top. Their donkey, Sinbad, was strong enough to pull the buggy without much effort. 

"Come and sit at the counter, Jin," Sonja said. "I'll get you a glass homemade ginger ale." 

"I love ginger ale," Jin said. "You'll have to teach me how to make it." 

"Are you excited about having another baby?" Wilma asked. 

"Very much ... Simon wants a large family." 

"What about you, Naomi?" Wilma asked. "Do you and Joe plan to have any children?" 

"I'm too old to have children," Naomi said. 

"Nonsense. Plenty of women in their early forties have children." 

"I'm quite a bit older than I look. I've already gone through menopause," Naomi said. "So there's absolutely no chance I could have another child." 

"That's too bad," Wilma said. 

Frowning, Sonja wondered if she should tell Naomi what Wade suspected. But if Wade was wrong, she might be kicking a hornet's nest for no reason. Maybe during the next full moon, the men would be able to smell if Naomi was pregnant. That wouldn't be for a week. Once Sonja's and Wade's home were built, Wade was going to infect her with the virus. Being 73 years old, it was unlikely she'd become child-bearing age again. Besides, she enjoyed being a grandmother and would settle for being in her late fifties again. Her husband had been full of vim and vigor since his change; she hoped she would be too, just to keep up with the grandchildren. 

"We hear there's a party going down," Liz said as she and Laura strolled in through the front doorway. Laura had her five month old daughter strapped in a Bjorn. 

Connor, Gwen, and Joey ran over to greet them. "Auntie Liz, Auntie Laura!" 

"I swear every time I come over here you've grown bigger," Liz said as she kneeled and gave them each a hug and a kiss. The twins came over, acting shy at first, until Liz held her arms open for them. They hurried in for a hug. 

"Can I see baby?" Gwen asked. 

Laura knelt and showed her Caroline. "She's sleeping." 

Fox finished making the crepes and he helped Sonja fill and roll them. 

"I hope you're hungry," Sonja said. "I thought we'd eat before opening baby presents." 

With Fox's and Blair's help, they carried the plates to the dining room table and got the toddlers in their booster chairs and the twins in the highchair. The women sat to eat while the men took care of feeding their children, cutting up each of their crepes into small bite-sized pieces. 

"Paul and Mike Doggett are arriving tomorrow with the milking cows and their prize bull," Blair said. 

The two Doggetts were driving separate vehicles. Paul had borrowed a livestock trailer from one of his neighbors to haul the cows. Mike would be towing that trailer with his pickup truck, while Paul drove his big wheeled truck and towed a smaller trailer with the bull. Mike couldn't stay -- after he dropped off the cows he had to get the trailer back home and supervise the spring planting. 

Paul planned to spend the week visiting and helping with the livestock. 

"John's preparing our barn for the cow," Laura said. "It'll be nice to have fresh milk." 

"I'll say," Liz said then smiled. "At least Jimmy is enthused about milking them, so I might get off easy." 

"Paul Doggett ... he's John's father isn't he?" Wilma asked as she ate the stuffed crepes. 

"Yes he is," Fox said. 

"Mommy, poopy," Aviva said. 

Fox sighed and stood to get her out of the highchair. "I can smell that you are." 

"Did she just call you mommy?" Wilma asked. 

"Yes." Fox didn't elaborate as he carried his daughter into the bathroom while Sonja took over feeding Chloe. 

After they ate, the women headed into the great room to open presents while Fox did the dishes and Blair watched the children. 

Jin took in a haul of cloth diapers, onesies, knit caps and booties for her baby. 

After Fox finished the dishes and cleaned the kitchen he retrieved the two seat stroller from the laundry room and collected the twins. "I'm going to take the twins for a jog." 

"Put their caps and sweaters on so they don't catch cold," Sonja said. 

Wilma watched him take the twins strapped in the stroller out the front door. "Where does he usually stroll with them?" 

"Down the main path then around the lake," Sonja said and smiled. "When Wade and I move into our log home, I'm sure Fox will stop off daily with them to visit before heading home." She couldn't wait for the peace and calm of her own home with daily visits from her grandchildren. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Bear 

Tuesday, April 27, 2004 

Outside a rooster was crowing, announcing the new day. Inside, Skinner's arms tightened around his lover's firm body as Fox tried to get out of bed. 

"Walter, let go ... I have to get up and start breakfast before the twins wake up." 

Ignoring his lover's plea, Skinner tightened his hold and pulled Fox down on the mattress. "No you don't. You've had cooking and baby sitting duty for the past month, I think it's about time we figure out what's causing the twins possessive behavior towards you." Skinner leaned down and kissed Fox softly on the lips to quell any protests. "I want you working alongside me -- not always stuck behind, watching our daughters." 

"Tell me about it," Fox sighed, relaxing. "I want to work on your parent's home with you. I missed Simon's barn raising and clearing the trees on Wolves Peak. I don't want to miss another full moon but what am I going to do when Aviva and Chloe throw a tantrum whenever I try to go anywhere without them." 

"Mommy, up!" Chloe's and Aviva's voices called from behind the screen. 

"I'll get them," Skinner said as he climbed out of bed and stepped behind the screen. 

"Want Mommy!" Aviva said. 

"You'll have to settle for Daddy," Skinner said. 

"No! Mommy!" Chloe said. 

"C'mon, girls, he's tired." Skinner scooped them out of the crib and over his shoulders then stepped back around the screen, letting the girls see Fox but not putting them down. With their two diapered butts on either side of his head, Skinner made a face. "Do you want me to change their diapers and give them a bath?" 

Fox chuckled. "Yes, but let me have a word with them first." 

Skinner turned back around so his back was to Fox and their daughters faced him. 

"Girls, I want you to be good and let Daddy change your diapers and give you a bath. If you're bad then you'll have to spend ten minutes in the time-out corner and you'll get no dessert after dinner tonight." 

"I be good," Chloe said. 

"I be good," Aviva echoed. 

Chuckling, Skinner carried them out of the bedroom and into the bathroom. 

Benton was up, drinking a mug of coffee at the kitchen counter while writing in a notebook. He had on the new jeans and shirt that Stan had found on the scavenger hunt to the ruins. Yesterday's scavenger trip had been quite fruitful. The rats were still keeping most people away from the ruins. The guys had run into a military roadblock but were allowed to go into the ruins. The corporal told them if they could go in and make it back out without getting killed, they were welcome to anything they could scavenge. 

Yesterday, they had gone deeper into the ruins and found an apparently burnt-out clothing store, only the fire hadn't reached the basement stock rooms where boxes of new clothes were stored, waiting to be unpacked. They hauled out dozens of boxes and loaded them into their truck, unopened before heading to the plumbing store they had been scavenging from last fall. The store was as they had left it and Stan selected fixtures for two bathrooms, the kitchen, and laundry room in his future house. Although there was only the three of them, Ray had insisted on two full bathrooms after having grown up in a home with only one bathroom. 

Skinner had worked with the men on the plans for their house. Fraser had wanted four bedrooms while Stan and Ray thought two were more than enough, but they compromised on three bedrooms while Skinner kept the four bedroom plan in case the two men changed their minds. He suspected that Fraser was planning the extra bedrooms for their future children but the Mountie hadn't yet found a way to bring the subject up to Ray and Stan. 

Starting the bathtub filling, Skinner removed his daughters' soiled diapers then tested the bathwater before placing them in the tub. 

"Daddy, more bubbles," Chloe said as she slapped at the foamy water. 

"Okay, Clover." Skinner added a little more bubble bath then turned on the faucet. "We need to talk about your Mommy. Do you know he's very sad that you don't let anyone other than him watch you?" 

"Mommy no sad," Aviva said. 

"You like Uncle Alex, don't you?" 

"Yes," they answered in unison. 

Skinner cleaned them with a washcloth as he talked to them. He never thought he'd be trying to reason with one-year-olds. "Then why don't you let Uncle Alex watch you today, so your Mommy can work on your Grandparent's house with me?" 

Aviva shook her curly head. "No." 

"Come on, you'll have Uncle Alex, Grandma, and Uncle Jim here to watch you. And Grandpa Paul is coming this afternoon." 

"No," Chloe said. 

This was impossible -- who was in charge here? Him or them? "I'll give you both a present if you let Uncle Alex watch you today. Would you like a new Teddy bear?" There had been a couple of boxes of Teddy bears amongst the boxes of clothing they had removed from the storage room of the clothing store. The bears must have been part of the store's promotion. The guys had planned to give them to the children at the Timberlake cabins but there were enough that Chloe and Aviva could each have one. 

"Bribery, Walter?" Fox said from the doorway. 

"I'm finding it impossible to reason with someone still in diapers," Skinner said. 

"Maybe we're going about this wrong," Fox said as he walked over to the bathtub and kneeled beside it next to Walter. "Do you love me?" he asked the girls. 

"I love you!" the twins said. 

"If you love me then you'll let Uncle Alex take care of you today so I can go help Daddy on your grandparents' house." 

Walter couldn't see how they could argue with that logic until their lower lips started to quiver and they broke down into tears and were soon crying uncontrollably. 

Fox sighed then lifted Aviva out of the bathtub and cuddled her wet squirming body against his chest as he reached in and hauled Chloe out of the bathtub. "Shh, I'll stay here for as long as you both need me," he whispered soothingly while hugging them securely. 

Reaching for a towel, Skinner wrapped it around them. "That went over well," he said. 

An amused smile spread across Fox's lips as the girls clung to him. "Maybe we should consult an expert." 

"What expert?" 

"Paul Doggett," Fox said. "He seems to have a lot of sage advice; maybe he'll have some idea about what we can do." 

"It's worth a shot," Skinner said, relieved that Fox found the situation humorous. 

~x~X~x~ 

Paul Doggett 

Tuesday, April 27, 2004 

Thanksgiving was the last time Paul had been up to visit his son and extended family -- it felt great to be back. These mountains had become a second home to him. Their majestic beauty brought him closer to God. Only God's hands could create something so magnificent. He looked out over the land as he rode the horse while holding the rope tied to the bull's nose ring. Old Brutus no longer had the fire in his belly he once had when he was younger. He was still capable of breeding, but he had become docile in his old age. It would soon be time to put him out to pasture. 

John had wanted to meet Paul at the Ranger's station to help with the bull and cows, but Paul had discouraged him -- not wanting John to see the wedding and birthday gifts he'd gotten for him. Ranger Smith volunteered to help; he was bringing up the rear on his ATV. 

A two-year-old Australian Border Collie was helping to herd the cows on the short journey to Moonridge Lodge. She was also John's birthday present. Lacy was smarter than some people Paul knew and he thought she'd fit in well protecting his grandchildren. The elder Doggett was riding his son's and Alex's wedding present -- a purebred, black stallion. The horse had a little more spirit than Paul was used to dealing with in a horse, but he hoped that John would breed Gabriel with the two mares the men owned. They'd have some fine looking ponies for the children to learn to ride. 

Besides the cows, horse, and dog, Paul also had presents for the children and two coolers full of hotdogs and hamburger patties. All the packages were on the back of the ATV. Sean had offered to help him with the packages, so Mike could get started back home. The ranger seemed to appreciate the four t-bone steaks that Paul had brought him. 

"Grandpa's here!" Gwen called from the front porch when Paul rode into the front yard with the cows. 

"Grandpa Paul!" Connor and Joey screamed, jumping up and down with excitement while the twins peeked out from behind Fox's long legs. 

Alex had to grab Gwen, Connor, and Joey to stop them from climbing off the porch. He didn't want them to get too close to the bull or the other large animals. Jim and John hurried into the front yard, from out back. They had been building the vestibule off the back door. 

"I'll get the food and your bags inside," Sean said as he drove the ATV up to the steps and parked. The large ranger hefted the two heavy coolers off the back of the ATV and carried them up the steps. 

Paul dismounted and embraced John and Jim before handing his son the reins to the stallion. "This is Gabriel. He's yours and Alex's wedding gift." 

John whistled. "He's magnificent." 

"Lacy, come here girl," Paul called. The black and white Australian Border Collie came running from her position at the back of the herd. "And this is your birthday present." 

John's eyes dropped to the dog, and a wide smile spread across his lips as he knelt to pet her. "Hey girl," he said. "Aren't you a beauty?" 

The dog barked and licked his face. 

John looked up at his dad with an even bigger grin. "Pa, you shouldn't have." 

"With four cows, you should have a herding dog to help with the animals," Paul said. "She'll round up the cows at sunset and see that they get back to the barn. Plus she'll be a good watch dog for the kids." 

A wolf jumped off the porch and ran over to Lacy. They sniffed each other's rear-ends going round and round in circles before heading off together toward the backyard, barking and playfully chasing each other. 

"I take it that was Diefenbaker," Paul said. 

"Yep," Jim said. "For some reason he didn't want to accompany Ray, Ben, and Stan up to their land today." 

John nodded toward the porch. "Your welcoming committee is chomping at the bit to greet you. Go see them, while Jim and I take care of the animals." 

"If you're sure you can handle them on your own...." 

"I'm sure," John said as he smoothly swung up into the saddle. Then he led Brutus toward the backyard. 

The children's faces were filled with excitement as Paul climbed the steps. He first hugged Alex and Fox. "You boys are looking fine." 

"Welcome home, Paul," Fox said. 

Paul felt like he was home ... maybe someday he'd sell the farm and he and Mike would move up here. 

Alex smiled. "I'm glad you were able to get away during spring planting." 

"So am I," Paul said then turned his attention to his grandchildren. 

"Look at how big you five have gotten," he said as he kneeled and hugged the three toddlers. Then he looked at the twins hiding behind Fox's legs; they were grinning shyly as they peeked out at him, but wouldn't come any nearer. "I bet you don't remember your Grandpa Paul." 

"Five months is a pretty long time at their age," Fox said. 

Sitting on the top step, Paul pulled a chocolate kiss out of his pocket. He unwrapped it and handed it to Gwen, then repeated the process for Conner and Joey while keeping an eye on the twins. "Mmmm, good," Paul said as he popped a chocolate kiss in his mouth. Then pulled two more out of his pocket, he turned to the twins. "Aviva, Chloe, do you want one?" 

The girls looked up at Fox and he smiled reassuringly at them. "Go ahead, you can trust Grandpa Paul." 

They came out from behind Fox's legs and stopped two feet from Paul. 

He chuckled, as he removed the foil from the chocolate. "You can come closer, I won't bite." Holding out his hand with the two kisses on his palm, Chloe then Aviva reached out and took them. Gwen sat next to her Grandpa on the top step. As the twins nibbled on the chocolate they moved closer and finally sat on the other side of Paul. Connor and Joey had moved to the end of the porch to watch Diefenbaker and Lacy play in the yard. Alex kept an eagle eye on the two of them. 

"Girls, I'm going back in the house to help Grandma with dinner," Fox said. 

"Go ahead, Fox. I'll watch them," Paul said as he unwrapped another kiss for each of the girls. 

"Okay, I'll be back out if they throw a tantrum," Fox said as he hesitantly stepped inside the house, pausing briefly on the other side of the screen door. 

"You two don't throw tantrums, do you?" Paul asked. 

Chloe and Aviva shook their heads as they each reached for another piece of chocolate. 

Paul looked up at Alex who was leaning against the porch railing. "So what else is happening around here?" he asked. 

"Jim's pregnant, and John has decided to have our next baby but he wanted to talk to you about it first," Alex said. 

"What's to talk about? I'd love another grandchild." 

"John's afraid of losing his masculinity." 

"Oh, I see. Don't worry, I'll talk to him." Paul put his arms around the girls. "Is there anything else I should know about?" 

"Naomi, Liz, Wade, Joe, Frohike, Langly, and our three new guests were exposed to the alien virus and have changed into werewolves." 

"How and when did this happen?" 

"Blair infected his mother, at her request, on New Years. After Naomi changed, she went a bit crazy and infected, Liz, Wade, Joe, Ray, Stan, and Ben. Then Liz infected Frohike and Langly -- they're still going through the change," Alex said. 

"Well, it sounds like you had a busy five months." Paul stood and helped the girls to their feet. "Shall we go inside and open the presents I brought you?" 

"Yes!" Gwen said. 

Joey came running over. "What you bring me?" 

"Did you bring me toys?" Connor asked, following Joey across the porch. 

"You'll see," Paul said as he held open the screen door for the children. 

Alex followed them inside and quipped, "I hope you brought me a GI John action figure, Grandpa." 

"I brought you a horse. Now why don't you go outside like a good boy and help your husband with the animals," Paul said. 

"If you think you'll be able to handle the kids by yourself," Alex said. 

"I'll help him," Naomi said from the sofa. She looked miserable. 

"Are you sure you're feeling well enough?" 

"I'm fine." Naomi stood. "It's just the stomach flu ... and it seems to have passed." 

"I'm sorry to hear you've been ill," Paul said. 

"So am I." Naomi smiled. "It's good to see you again, Paul." 

Gwen tugged at Paul's jacket. "Grandpa, where our presents?" 

"Let's find where Sean put my bags," Paul said. 

Sean was sitting at the counter drinking ale. While talking to Fox, he turned. "I put them on the bench in the foyer. This place is so crowded I had no idea where you're going to sleep tonight." 

"Grandpa Paul can sleep on the big bed with us," Joey said. 

"Paul, we're putting you up in John's and my bedroom," Alex said. "We're going to take the sleeper sofa in the great room." 

"I'm not putting you boys out of your bedroom. I'll sleep down here." 

"No, you're not," Alex said. "We know you like to turn in early, and John and I usually stay up late, so sleeping down here is no problem for us." 

"You have a point," Paul conceded as he walked to the foyer and retrieved his bags, carrying them back into the great room. "Now let's see if I can find those gifts." 

The children gathered around him. One at a time, he pulled out a plush stuffed animal, handing Chloe a kangaroo and Aviva a chimpanzee. Connor got a tiger, Joey a panther and Gwen got a giraffe. "You can start your own zoo." 

"Thank you, Grandpa Paul," Connor said, hugging the tiger. 

The twins ran into the kitchen. "Mommy, see what I have," they said, holding up the stuffed animals. 

"Those are cool," Fox said as he knelt to look at the girls' stuffed toys. "And that was nice of your Grandpa Paul to give them to you. Now why don't you go thank him?" 

Paul listened to Fox talking to the twins as Gwen and Joey thanked him for the stuffed animals. Soon the twins ran back across the room. 

"Tank you," they said in unison. 

"You're welcome," Paul said as he picked up his two suitcases and headed for the spiral staircase. "I'm going to put these up in the bedroom; I'll be right back down." Once upstairs, he set the suitcases on the mattress and hurried downstairs. 

Sonja came in through the back door with a basketful of eggs. When she saw him she smiled and set the basket on the counter. "Paul, I just saw the cows; they're beautiful animals." 

"You should have plenty of milk now for making yogurt and cheese." Paul hugged her. "So how is your's and Wade's house coming along?" 

"The men are making great progress. The woodstove is installed in the kitchen area and they have the log walls up on the first floor and were starting on fireplace and the second floor. Wade has all of the first floor's plumbing installed and the well sunk." Sonja's eyes sparkled with excitement as she talked. "With luck the home will be ready for us to move into by July, then the guys can spend the rest of the summer and fall building the log home at Wolves Peak." 

"I'm looking forward to seeing the work the men are doing on your home, and to meeting these three new men," Paul said. "From John's description they sound like good men." 

"They are, and did John mention that Ray Vecchio used to be a neighbor of ours in Chicago?" 

"He did mention that and that they had all been in law enforcement." 

"Where're my manners?" Sonja said. "Would you like something to drink?" 

Paul nodded. "Now that you mention it, I am rather parched. An iced tea would be much appreciated." 

"Coming right up." 

The children were playing on the floor in the great room with their stuffed animals while Alex and Naomi watched them. Paul probably should relieve Alex so he could go outside and help John. As soon asSonja got Paul that iced tea, he would watch them. 

The following morning, Paul wanted to walk over to visit Mel and Liz, then maybe later in the week head down to visit Helmut Schmidt and his family. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Raven 

Tuesday, April 27, 2004 

Unlike the log homes they were building, the old mill required some heavy construction equipment. A crane was used to lift the steel beams that were used to replace the rotted timber beams that had been over the first floor. Now that they were in place work had started on the second floor. It was late afternoon when they called it quits for the day at the old mill. The backbreaking work was worth it Methos thought, as he put his tools away and stood back to admire the work. 

"Feels good, doesn't it?" Joe said as he glanced around the large expanse of the first floor. 

Methos looked at his friend and smiled. It was still hard for him to believe the changes that had taken place with Joe. He looked younger and was outwardly more vibrant and full of energy. Joe would spend hours late into the evening working on the place. Most nights Naomi would join him and do what little she could with the construction. If it weren't for the fact that Paul Doggett had arrived at Moonridge Lodge that afternoon, Joe probably would have continued working until well after dark. 

The pub's kitchen was going to require the most work. It would be open to the dining area in the pub so their patrons could watch their food being prepared. Joe wanted a wood-burning pizza oven to be the centerpiece. He decided that pizza would be their primary bar food, along with a variety of appetizers. The oven would also provide heat for the bar area in the winter along with the pleasant aroma that would draw customers in even on the coldest days. Already Joe had signed contracts with several of the areas farmers for fresh produce, meat, and cheese. 

Moonridge Lodge would be supplying them with fresh mushrooms. A dairy farm east of Holton would supply the cheese for the pizzas and other appetizers. And still another would supply pizza sauces and fresh vegetables. Besides pizza they would have a daily kettle of soup. Joe had gotten the recipes from Sonja and the men living at Moonridge Lodge. For appetizers, they had decided on potato skins, French fries, bruschetta, stuffed mushroom caps, and chicken wings. They would probably refine and change the menu as they went along. Plus they would have a seasonal menu and special items for holidays or when certain crops were in season. Already, Frohike had volunteered to help with the cooking in the evening. Poor man had been in terrible shape since his wife had bitten him. Naomi would be in charge of the kitchen and making sure they had enough produce and supplies. 

Their goal was to have the joint open by Oktoberfest. It was one of the reasons they were in a hurry to greet and meet with Paul Doggett over dinner that night. Joe wanted to see if he could pre-order some bratwursts and sausages for the Oktoberfest grand-opening celebration. The plan was to grill them outside on the stone patio overlooking the river and small waterfalls. 

The thought made Methos smile. Joe was hoping for a large crowd for their grand-opening. The immortal hoped that his friend wouldn't be disappointed. With the gunmen's help printing and distributing fliers to Holton and the surrounding area, along with a planned feature in the September issue of the magic mountain magazine, Methos was sure they'd have several hundred people for the joint's opening. 

At least Joe wasn't going to open the bar Sunday through Tuesday - he only planned to be open for business Wednesday through Saturday, with the exception of the inn which would be open 24/7. Since the inn would have only six rooms, Joe planned to provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner for their guests. Although he didn't expect that there'd be anyone staying at the inn during the late fall through early spring. 

Arms went around Methos' waist from behind and Mac's masculine scent filled the immortal's senses. "You need a shower," Methos said. 

"We need a shower and I need you," Mac said then sighed. "Unfortunately, with John's father at the guys' place we are going to have to sneak out to the Japanese teahouse after he goes to bed." 

Methos smiled. After meeting Paul Doggett last Thanksgiving, neither Methos nor Mac would dream of doing anything inappropriate around the man. It was very seldom that they'd meet someone who they felt required their respect. One aspect of Paul's character they respected was the man's ability to see the whole person and not judge, based on his religious beliefs. Paul viewed gays the same as he viewed heterosexuals by their individual attributes. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Dragonfly 

Tuesday, April 27, 2004 

Hard work always gave Vecchio an appetite. Tonight they were having a roasted leg of lamb in honor of Paul Doggett's visit. Vecchio took a sip of red wine, enjoying the robust flavor as he listened to the conversation between Joe and Paul. 

"Paul, before you head for home, you'll have to stop out and take a look at my place," Joe said. 

"I'd enjoy seeing the progress you're making," Paul said, "And I'll be back in July, so if you need anything for the bar that you're unable to scavenge from the ruins just let me know and I'll see if I can get it." 

"Thanks, Paul, if I think of anything I'll let you know." 

Since finding out that Joe was installing a wood-burning pizza oven in the bar Vecchio had been in heaven. To have a pizza joint within ten miles from where they were building their log home was too sweet. If they could get a canoe, the deep stream down the hill from their place was part of the series of streams that merged to form the river in front of the old mill. He'd be able to make it for a pizza fix in ten minutes tops. Although paddling up stream would be a problem. 

Sitting at the head of the table, Sonja said, "Joe, I'd love to help in some way -- what if I made dessert for the pub?" 

"Thanks for the offer, but I wouldn't want to put you through so much work," Joe said. 

"I'll be making dessert for the family anyways, so baking extra wouldn't be too much work," Sonja said. "Besides, Wade can help me." 

"Why don't we see how it goes," Joe said, "If it becomes too much work you can always back out, and I expect to pay you." 

"What types of desserts were you thinking of making?" Naomi asked. "Maybe I could give you a hand." 

Sonja smiled. "Pies, cobblers, bread pudding ... whatever fruit is in season." 

Warm family moments like this made Vecchio long for his mother and siblings. "I can give you a hand picking and peeling apples or whatever menial labor you require," he offered. 

"That's awfully sweet of you, Ray," Sonja said. "I could use your help when the Blackberries are ready to pick in June and July. I want to make pie filling and jam to put up before the berries spoil." 

"Ray, Stan, and I will help," Benny said. "We'd also like to learn how to put up fruits, vegetables, and to make jams and jellies." 

"I would love to teach you boys." Sonja smiled. 

"You can count on Adam's and my help, too," Mac said. 

"I appreciate everyone's offer to help, since as soon as Wade and I move into our new home in July, Wade is going to infect me with the lycan virus," Sonja said, "And I would hate to miss six weeks of prime canning season." 

"Don't worry, Mom," Fox said, "We'll work as a team to put up all the ripe berries and vegetables while you're going through the change." 

Ranger Smith nodded. "The new shipment of canning jars and lids will arrive from the vendor in May, just in time for the start of the canning season." 

"Cool. Thanks, Sean," Vecchio said. They were supposed to get a thousand canning jars and lids for their place. It seemed like a lot to him at first, until Walter went through the variety of foods, including pasta sauces that they'd need to put up to comfortably get through winter and spring then the number started to seem rather small. 

"I wish my farm was closer," Paul said. "I'd like to help as well." 

"Would you consider selling your farm and buying a farm in our valley?" Sean asked. 

"In a heartbeat," Paul said then looked across the table at the ranger. "Why are you bringing this up?" 

"I happen to know that Mark Redmond is going to be selling his farm and moving to be with his daughter and son-in-law in New Mexico." 

Fox whistled. "Paul, the Redmond farm is two thousand acres and has a large red brick barn along with several other buildings. The farm house is an old Victorian built in the 1800s. Last year, Mr. Redmond main crops were sugar beets, corn, barley, and sweet potatoes. He also grew watermelons and pumpkins. Besides that he has pigs, dairy cows, and cattle." 

"That's a lot bigger than my farm, I only have 460 acres," Paul said. 

John sat up straighter in his chair. "Pa, please say you'd consider buying his farm. If you need funds, we still have half of Old Man Peterson's gold and silver left." 

"I wouldn't pass up the chance to be closer to my grandkids and family. Sean, can you arrange for me to meet with Mark Redmond? I'd like to make an offer on his place." 

"Will do." The ranger grinned. "I happen to know that Mark wants to sell his place to a farmer and not some city person." 

"How far is his farm from here?" Paul asked. 

"It's nineteen miles as the crow flies," Sean said, "And twenty-two miles by car." 

Vecchio couldn't imagine a 2,000 acre farm. He was still grappling with six acres -- two that were ready for planting next week. This was a huge change for him and his lovers but Vecchio had no doubt they were up to the challenge. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Fox 

Wednesday, April 28, 2004 

Looking out the window from the backseat of Paul's big-wheeled, extended cab truck, Mulder watched a pale yellow old Victorian house with white trim come into view. Off to the left was a large red brick barn with several large silos. A flock of white geese was foraging for food in the field next to a small pond. Off in the distance Mulder could see cows grazing on a hill. Behind the house were a couple of large green houses. 

The need for some time away from the house and the twins had Mulder jumping at the chance to accompany Paul and John to meet with Mark Redmond. They brought Connor and Gwen along for the ride. The twins had to be bribed with promises of chocolate kisses if they behaved themselves for their Daddy. Walter was more than happy to watch them if it helped to break their possessive behavior toward Mulder. 

Unfortunately there wasn't enough room in the truck for three car seats, so Blair decided to take Joey to see the progress on Grandma and Grandpa Skinner's home. Otherwise the little boy would have felt left out with his two best friends heading off on an adventure without him. 

Parking the truck, Paul and John climbed out, and Mulder got Connor and Gwen out of their car seats and handed them down to the two Doggetts before climbing out of the truck himself. 

An elderly man, looking to be in his seventies was waiting out on the porch for them. It was obvious by the man's leathery skin that he had spent most of his life working outside. 

"Mr. Doggett?" Mark Redmond asked. 

"Yes. How do you do, sir?" Paul extended his hand and they shook. 

"I've been better ... this damp weather has made my arthritis unbearable," Redmond said. 

"I'm sorry to hear you're not well." 

"You shouldn't be; if it weren't for my arthritis and my daughter, I wouldn't be selling this place." 

"Daddy, how come house is colored yellow?" Connor asked. 

Mulder smiled. "Clapboard-sided houses can be painted different colors." 

"Can we paint our house purple?" 

"No. Log homes shouldn't be painted but we can paint the front door purple." 

Redmond's eyes dropped down to Connor and Gwen. "Who's children?" 

Paul spoke up, "This is my granddaughter, Gwendolyn, and my adopted grandson, Connor." He nodded to John. "And this is my son, John, and Fox Mulder. John and Fox, with some of their friends own--" 

"Old Man's Peterson's place," Redmond said. "I'm familiar with them and the commendable work they've done in our community. Come along, I'll show you around." 

"This is a big farm for one man to operate," Paul said as they walked across the farmyard and entered the barn. 

"Up until last week I had a couple of farm hands to help with the work," Redmond said, stopping inside the barn. 

"What happened?" 

"They were robbing me blind. I had to call Sheriff Fife in Holton to have them arrested." 

Mulder winkled his nose at the smell and snatched Connor up off the ground when he noticed that it had been a while since the stalls had been cleaned and fresh straw laid. John did the same with Gwen. The barn was at least six times larger than their barn with twenty stalls; eight of them had cows inside and a center grated drainage trench ran down the center of the barn. 

Redmond continued talking with the sound of desperation creeping into his voice. "I will give you a good deal on the place as long as you can take immediate possession." 

"That shouldn't be a problem," Paul said clearly admiring the barn regardless, of the unkempt condition. "I own a farm in North Carolina, but I have a couple of families who might be willing to purchase my place on credit. My other son could be up here in a couple of days to help with the livestock and spring planting." 

Redmond breathed a sigh of relief. "You've set my mind at ease; I didn't want to sell this place to just anyone. It had been in my family since the late 1800s but with no grandchildren or relatives other than my fifty-five year old daughter I had to find someone else to take it off my hands." Redmond led the way back to his house. "Sean had high praise for you, Mr. Doggett. I trust you and your sons will take good care of this farm." 

"You have nothing to worry about." 

They followed the old man into the house. Mulder glanced around as they walked to the kitchen -- the windows and architecture was old world craftsmanship at its finest. The place needed to be cleaned badly -- dust had settled over every surface in the parlor and dining room. The kitchen was cleaner and probably the room that Redmond spent most of his time in. It looked like it had been remodeled within the last twenty years. The appliances, countertop, and cabinets looked fairly new. 

"My wife passed away four years ago, she used to keep this place spotless," Redmond said apologetically. "This house had once been filled with warmth and the laughter of children. My oldest son died in Vietnam and my youngest son died of a drug overdose. Only my daughter and her husband remain. They own a cattle ranch in New Mexico ... at least I'll still be able to spend my twilight years on a farm." 

There wasn't much they could say to comfort the man. Letting go of his farm was a difficult decision he had made. 

Mr. Redmond scribbled down a number on a sheet of paper. "This is how much I'm willing to let you have this place for. All of the farm equipment, livestock, and furniture in this house are part of the price. I'll only be taking a few personal items." 

Mulder looked over Paul's shoulder at the price. It was a fraction of what the place was worth, even with the collapse of real-estate prices. 

"Daddy, is Grandpa going to live here?" Gwen asked. 

"Yes as soon as he buys the place from Mr. Redmond, Grandpa and Uncle Mike will be moving here," John said. 

"We'll have to go to the title company in Holton to transfer the deed over to you," Redmond said. "I will require you to pay me in the nation's new currency." 

Paul nodded. "That shouldn't be a problem; the military has been purchasing my crops for over the last two years and have finally paid me what they owed me. John and Fox will make up the difference." 

"I'll arrange for the closing to be on Friday." Redmond walked over to the stove, clearly calmer than he had been, as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "Would you like a cup of tea?" 

"A cup of tea would just hit the spot," Paul said and turned to John and Mulder. "Why don't you boys go and clean the stalls in the barn and lay down fresh straw. I'll look after my grandkids." 

Redmond perked up. "The pigs need to be fed and I haven't had a chance to get out to the chicken coop in two days." 

John smiled. "Don't worry, Fox and I will take care of the animals, just sit and relax." 

Mulder followed John out the back door. "Do you think your Dad and brother will be able to handle this place by themselves?" 

"Tending animals and the crops shouldn't be a problem, but doing the housework and cooking might be difficult for them." 

"Of course, they can come over to our place for dinner anytime they feel like it," Mulder said. "As for cleaning, that house is huge. It has to have at least four bedrooms. Maybe they could hire someone to cook and clean in exchange for room and board and a small salary." 

"Now that might not be a bad idea," John said as they stepped back inside the barn. 

Mulder chuckled as he grabbed a shovel. "I don't mind shoveling shit; it just feels good to be out of the house today." 

John grabbed the wheelbarrow. After they removed the dirty straw they'd be able to hose down the stalls. "Fox, can you give me the same advice you gave Jim?" 

"What advice?" 

"Alex wants me to have our next kid and I need you to convince me why it's a good idea." 

"Was Gwen a good idea?" Mulder asked. 

"She's been the best thing to happen to Alex and me." 

"How can having another baby be any less precious?" Mulder looked into John's troubled eyes. "You have to let go of the past. We're no longer the same people we were before the alien invasion. Once you accept who and what you are, then having a baby shouldn't be that traumatic." 

"What about Walter? He'll never go through it again." 

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Mulder said with a sly smile. "Why do you think I saved his bib overalls?" 

~x~X~x~ 

The Beaver 

Tuesday, May 4, 2004 

The past five days had been quite eventful, Fraser thought as he chased after his lovers through the dense brush. Twigs snapping underneath his paws as he wove around trees and up hills. They'd spent Friday, Saturday, and Sunday helping clean the Redmond farm house and plant the spring crops, along with helping Paul and Mike get settled in. 

Mike had been in awe of the farm and farm house, and seemed totally happy that he'd be living so close to his brother and extended family. 

With a final burst of speed, Fraser caught up to Ray and mounted him from behind. His lover's scent had pushed him over the edge of arousal. 

"C'mon, Benny, go a little easy here," Ray growled -- his voice sounding so much different, coming from a wolf. "I happen to be a virgin here ya know." 

"Ray, I don't seem to be able to help myself...." Fraser grunted as he thrust in and out of his lover. "Your scent is like a drug." 

Stan had settled ten feet away and was watching them intently. The other werewolves had taken off in the opposite direction, after Wade had asked if anyone smelled anything different about any of them. Fox had snickered and said that Ray and Stan smelled nice. Walter had chased Fox into the woods before he could elaborate. The other wolves had quickly followed them while Ray and Stan watched in puzzled, until Fraser tried to mount Stan, which led to both of his lovers fleeing through the woods. 

It had been a long time since Fraser had been this horny. He tied with Ray and after a half hour of being joined they separated. Fraser's sexual appetite wasn't yet fully sated; he looked long and hard at Stan whose eyes widened, and with a yelp Stan took off into the woods with Fraser hot on his tail. Hunting Stan with equal vigor, Fraser intended to get in a double header tonight. As he chased the blond wolf through the forest with Ray following several hundred yards behind, Fraser's thoughts turned to the home they were building. 

They had spent all of Monday and Tuesday planting crops on their two acres of land then surrounded the area with chicken wire. This coming winter they would get their eggs and milk from Moonridge Lodge. Next year they'd build their own chicken coop and a small barn. Fraser finally caught up to Stan and wrapped his front legs around the wolf, before sinking his cock into his lover. 

"Jeez, what's gotten into you?" Stan complained. "Do you have to be so fucking rough?" 

"I'm sorry, Stan, I don't know what's wrong with me," Fraser said without slowing his frantic thrusts as the knot at the base of his cock started to swell until he was tied with his lover. Like with Ray, the vaginal muscles contracted around his shaft, squeezing out an intense orgasm. 

While waiting for his knot to shrink, the Mountie's thoughts turned to their future. He was looking forward to the completion of their home this fall and spending the winter snowed in with his lovers. He and Walter had revised the plans to include one additional bedroom, since Fraser was hopeful that he could convince Stan and Ray that they should start a family. After being around the children at Moonridge Lodge, Fraser suspected his lovers might be open to the suggestion. He knew that Stan had always wanted children, and Ray was comfortable around children. Both men would make excellent fathers, and Fraser was more than willing to go through pregnancy, himself, if they agreed. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Cricket 

Wednesday, May 26, 2004 

Pushing the cart down the long corridor from the kitchen, Francesca studied the details of her surroundings. After floating around from town to town since the aliens destroyed Chicago, she had learned to be observant of her surrounds. Roving bands of outlaws were threats to women traveling alone. Fran had no one left; her mother and siblings were dead, killed in the flames that had destroyed their neighborhood, while Fran had barely made it out alive. At times she had wondered if it might not have been better if she had perished as well. She was pretty sure that Ray hadn't survived. Out of all of her siblings, she missed him the most. 

Now that she finally found a steady job and a safe place to stay, Fran intended to put a little money away and hopefully head to the west coast, eventually. 

She slowed as she reached the cell and the guard looked at her lustfully before unlocking the door. 

"You have fifteen minutes," the guard said. 

"That's not enough time," Fran said. She'd been working there a week and had been put in charge of feeding the prisoner in cell six who the guards claimed was half-alien. Fran was doubtful; the man's eyes were too soulful for him to be anything but human. 

"You know the rules." 

"That's barely enough time to get him to eat a bowl of broth." 

The tall guard moved closer and looked down at her. "I'll tell you what. You can have a half hour if you agree to wrap those sweet lips around my meat and blow me." 

"Never!" Fran hissed. 

"You've already lost four minutes," the guard said as he opened the cell door. 

She lifted the tray off the cart and hurried into the cell. "Hey, how are you doing?" Fran forced a smile as she set the tray down and sat on the hard floor next to the prisoner who was shackled. 

"I've been better," he wheezed out breathlessly. 

"I don't have much time to feed you ... I'm sorry," she said, opening the Styrofoam container of broth. 

"Don't worry, I'm not very hungry," he said. 

"You need to eat ... you're all skin and bones." Francesca looked into his eyes as she held the container of broth to the hole that was his mouth. The first time she'd seen him, she had been afraid ... visions of every horror story seemed to be wrapped up in his flesh. After five days, Fran no longer saw a monster when she looked at him, but a wounded man. She wanted to find out more about him, why he was a prisoner, and what had happened to him. His arms were riddled with fresh needle marks. 

There was one person that even the guards seemed to fear, who Fran had come to think of as the blonde bimbo -- mainly because the woman was beautiful and had an air of superiority about her. Fran wanted to ask the prisoner about her, but she didn't want to take time from the man's need to eat to answer her questions. 

Something was seriously wrong here. What would Ray do? She set the empty broth container aside and opened the fried rice. After only three teaspoons full of rice, the guard opened the door and ordered her out. 

"I'm sorry, I'll be back with breakfast in the morning," she said, gathering the items on the tray and stood. 

"Thank you," he said. 

~x~X~x~ 

End of Chapter Twenty-Two: Spring Fever 

Coming soon Chapter Twenty-Three: Long Hot Summer 

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